Stephen Starkman and Traci Asher Interview
From the introduction to the interview:
Welcome to this interview today and I hope that it finds all of you well with a desire to do something more with life and with your art. As a photo professional, I am always striving to find a purpose with my life, my art, my guidance. I am delighted in the art for art’s sake approach to the medium. In a recent video by the writer Benjamin Hardy, he mentions the idea that we all struggle for meaning and are always searching to find our life’s task. There is where I find myself with some art projects, how can this expand beyond the eye of the individual to exact change in the life and surroundings of the viewer.
Here is where I find myself today with Stephen Starkman and Traci Asher. I must include a caveat here. I work with artists largely who want to produce photobooks. I have worked with Traci for a few years now and watched the work evolve into what will be a book that I hope will reach thousands who need to read what she has to say about her own experience of diagnosis and treatment of cancer -- three times. I also recently met Stephen Starkman after speaking to a class taught by photographer and educator Jason Langer. Both of the artists have produced books about their journey with the cancer to be used as tools to help others. I wanted to connect the two of these artists in a conversation that we will present today.
Update on the video: Stephen makes a reference to his surgery that was performed this last Monday, November 28. I received an email from him on Wednesday, December 7 stating that he is recovering and gaining strength.
Update: Stephen Starkman was a visual artist based in Toronto, Canada, who strived to create bodies of work that exhibited a strong focus on aesthetic and creative values. He took his recent experience with cancer and turned it into a visually stunning book, The Proximity to Mortality: A Visual Artist’s Journey Through Cancer. I was saddened to hear of Stephen's passing on September 6. In connecting with his family, we were advised that he requested donations in his honor for this battling cancer to the organization Hearth Place. An organization that had given Stephan tremendous support in the last two years and that does wonderful things for those battling Cancer. Please see the link below. Condolences may be sent to his wife Debi Malatesta at debimalatesta@icloud.com.
Click here to donate to Hearth Place
Websites:
Stephen Starkman
Purchase the book, The Proximity of Mortality
https://stephenstarkman.com/Buy-The-P...
https://stephenstarkman.com/
https://www.instagram.com/stephen.sta...
Traci Asher
http://1cancerpatient.com/
https://www.instagram.com/1cancerpati...
Melanie McWhorter https://melaniemcwhorter.com/
https://www.instagram.com/mellyvanilla/
https://www.instagram.com/mmphotocons...